In the wake of NCAA sanctions the give Penn State players the opportunity to transfer without penalty, USC is pursuing Nittany Lions running back Silas Redd. The Trojans contacted Penn State about their intent to recruit the 5-foot-10, 200-pound junior, who rushed for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns, said a source with knowledge of the situation. The source requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the situation. ESPN reported USC's interest in Redd on Monday night.

USC could be thin at tailback this season, but the Trojans moved to shore up the depth issue for the future by getting a verbal commitment Tuesday from Ty Issac. Issac, 6 feet 3 and 215 pounds, will be a senior at Joliet Catholic High in Joliet, Ill. He rushed for a record 515 yards and six touchdowns last season in a state championship game. "I had a great feeling about USC when I first visited the school and it just felt like me out there,” Issac told the Chicago Tribune . "I know that even when I take football out of the picture I'll be getting a great education and a degree from USC. I really wanted to go to a school that offered the best mix on and off the field, and for me that is USC. " USC is also regarded as a leading contender to land Stockton Lincoln running back Justin Davis.

With USC preparing for its final spring practice Saturday at the Coliseum, Coach Steve Sarkisian on Friday released a depth chart that will look entirely different in the fall. More than 20 players -- including starters such as defensive lineman Leonard Williams, cornerback Josh Shaw and safety Su'a Cravens -- have been sidelined for all or part of spring workouts. They are among those not included on the depth chart. Sarkisian this week announced that Cody Kessler was the starting quarterback.

USC will try to bounce back from two years of NCAA-mandated bowl bans to the top of college football next season. Times college football reporter Gary Klein chatted with Noah Coslov of Cinesport about the Trojans' prospects. Amongs the topics covered: The scholarship limit improsed in the sanctions could hurt the team's depth for the next two or three years. The offense is very thin at tailback, with only Curtis McNeal a seasoned performer and D.J. Morgan having limited experience.

The Orange Lutheran Lancers secured a share of their third consecutive Trinity League title after defeating Santa Ana Mater Dei, 24-21, Thursday at Santa Ana Stadium when Parker Flynn made a 43-yard field goal with two seconds left. It was also the third consecutive year Lutheran, 8-2 overall, 4-1 in the Trinity League and ranked No. 8 in the Southland by The Times, defeated No. 5 Mater Dei (7-3, 4-1).

With sunlight starting to disappear and the chances for overtime growing more likely, sophomore running back D.J. Morgan of Woodland Hills Taft had a sense of urgency when he was handed the ball Thursday afternoon in the final 30 seconds of a City Championship Division playoff opener at Los Angeles Jordan. "I'm just thinking I don't want overtime," Morgan said. "I have to run hard and get into the end zone."

No. 4 Westlake Village Oaks Christian (2-0) at Sammamish (Wash.) Skyline (2-0), 7 p.m. , ESPNU -- A victory at Skyline might temporarily silence those who contend that Oaks Christian feasts on a weak nonleague schedule. The Totems are two-time defending Washington state champions who have won 30 consecutive games and feature Brigham Young-bound quarterback Jake Heaps. A triumph would give Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell his 200th coaching victory in 22 years at the high school level.

To borrow a bit of Grantland Rice, the Coliseum was outlined in a blue-gray October sky when Lane Kiffin retired his horses to the stable. And this happened pretty early in the second half against Colorado. By then, the USC football coach didn't need his A-team anymore. Their Saturday was done, just like Colorado, which barely put up a fight in its 50-6 loss to No. 11 USC. The Trojans improved to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in Pac-12 Conference play while setting a slew of records in the process.

During a fourth quarter in which the teams had already combined for 51 points, Simi Valley Grace Brethren High needed to move the ball only three yards on a two-point conversion to cap a stunning comeback against Malibu. But the Sharks made a rare defensive stop, holding Jack Gililand short of the goal line with 1 minute 10 seconds left to preserve a 51-50 victory Friday night in a Frontier League game at Moorpark College. "It was the craziest game I've ever seen," Malibu Coach Ray Humphrey said Saturday.

The film session that awaits Los Angeles Crenshaw High's defensive players in the coming days could get ugly, with one exception. Top-ranked Crenshaw stopped Norco on a crucial fourth down in the fourth quarter Friday night on the way to pulling out a 47-44 victory in which host Crenshaw gave up 487 rushing yards. "When we needed to stop them, we stopped them," Crenshaw Coach Robert Garrett said. "We showed character at the end." Norco, ranked No. 22 in the Southland by The Times, had pulled to within 47-44 late in the third quarter on Kelsey Young 's 66-yard touchdown run and was driving again when it faced a fourth-and-four situation at the Crenshaw 12-yard line.